


Sharks

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 05:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18382235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: Talking with minimal plot





	Sharks

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics

It was horrific. Nothing like what Hal had expected upon receiving the call. Not that he'd really thought about it. As usual, the Guardians hadn't given him much information, just told him where to be and unsuspecting, Hal had walked into the aftermath of a massacre. A brutal massacre, bodies and blood everywhere, like nothing he'd seen before.

Feeling sick, stomach churning, revulsion rising in him, Hal averted his gaze and managed to excuse himself from the presence of local authorities. They didn't seem to mind all that much, their expressions were understanding, and Hal raced for the door, so fast he almost tripped up.

The air outside was a relief, away from the stench of death, and Hal rested his back against a nearby wall. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle this, had never seen anything like it, but he knew he had to go back inside at some point. Whoever had done this he would catch, throw them in the deepest darkest sciencell he could find and ensure they never hurt anyone ever again. Yes, that was what he should do.

If only Sinestro was here, if only the Guardians had seen fit to invite him too. They never liked Green Lanterns working together. Right now though, Hal didn't really care what the Guardians wanted, he wanted Sinestro with him, Sinestro always made things better. Maybe just talking to him would help. Surely the Guardians couldn't fault Hal for that, it was just a conversation.

Decided on what to do, Hal made the call, and he tapped his fingers against his thigh, waiting for a response. "Jordan?" Fortunately, Sinestro sounded quite alert, so Hal most likely hadn't woken him. But he was struck with a sense of guilt, Sinestro was busy, Sinestro was always busy, why couldn't Hal just deal with this by himself?

"I'm sorry," Hal started off with. "I interrupted you, didn't I?" Out there, so many other people needed Sinestro's help, Hal was being selfish. He should be able to handle this by himself, he was a Green Lantern. "There's no emergency or anything, I just - I'm gonna leave you alone now."

"I am doing nothing of import, Jordan, you are free to speak meaninglessly at me," Sinestro reassured, pausing Hal's move to disconnect the call. "Whether I will respond however, is another matter." Just the sound of Sinestro's voice, as relaxed as it was, had a calming effect on Hal, washed away the violent imagery of a few minutes ago.

In fact, Hal was almost certain he could hear the quiet sound of water shifting, was Sinestro by a lake or something? "What are you doing?" Hal was curious, and glad for any reason to not think about the massacre he had to deal with. "Are you still on Korugar? What's the time for you?"

"One question at a time," Sinestro admonished gently, but the amusement was clear in his voice. "It's rather early in the morning. Yes, I am still on Korugar, I am allowed a few minutes in the morning to myself, I think, before the Guardians may drag me to Oa to assign some pointless mission. And I am bathing."

Having not expected that answer in the slightest, Hal did a double take. "You're what?" he asked, then realised what a stupid question it was. But now he couldn't get the image out of his head, of Sinestro naked, in the bath, and talking to him. Why did that have to be such an unfairly distracting image?

"Bathing," Sinestro repeated, as Hal had said nothing further. "When one places hot water in a tub for the purpose of washing oneself. How else did you believe I remain so immaculate? By swimming in the sea? Hardly sufficient and who knows what kind of carnivorous creatures could be in there. I am valuable, Hal, I cannot be eaten by carnivorous creatures."

Now Hal had the image of Sinestro skinny dipping in the sea with sharks stuck in his mind, and he thought this was probably one of the weirdest conversations he'd ever had with Sinestro. Not to say he wasn't enjoying it. "I wouldn't want you to be eaten by 'carnivorous creatures'," Hal hastily defended. "You keep taking your baths out of the sea, Sin. If that's what you want."

"It is." Along with the confirmation came a yawn, far too adorable, and Hal had to smile. "Perhaps I woke too early. You wouldn't believe the insanity the Guardians ordered from me last night. I had to work alongside a criminal, one the Guardians were considering releasing permanently from the sciencells if the mission was a success."

Suitably self righteous about the whole thing, Sinestro retold the tale of why he'd been kept up late, why he was more tired than usual. "Of course, I was betrayed but I was expecting it. Sinestro is always prepared," Sinestro added as an aside, tone boastful. "That criminal was taken down with ease, I proved I was right to the Guardians and finished the mission by myself. Perfectly."

"Not bad," Hal complimented, and he could bet Sinestro was preening. Like a peacock, all impressed with himself and totally unafraid of the Guardians' disapproval. "Wish I'd been there though. Even if you did everything perfectly, I'd have loved to see the Guardians' expressions when you proved them wrong."

"They were blank, as always," Sinestro dismissed. "The Guardians feel nothing, robotic little blue imps. You missed very little." Though Hal wasn't sure, he took Sinestro's word on it and was no longer quite so disappointed he'd missed out. "I did think of contacting you," Sinestro revealed then. "Simply, it was quite late in your time and I had no wish to disturb you. Did you sleep well, Hal?"

After a moment, Hal recalled when he'd woken up several hours ago. "Yeah, I did. But I wouldn't have minded being woken up. By you, I mean. You'd never disturb me. Call me whenever you want." Alright, even Hal could admit he sounded a little desperate now, biting back any impulsive need to pledge always being there for Sinestro.

"I shall keep that in mind." Other than that, Sinestro was quiet, but Hal didn't care, knew Sinestro was alert to answer him at any moment. "You can call me as well, Hal," Sinestro broke the silence with the offer. "I don't mind being interrupted by you. Unless it is for something entirely pointless. I don't care what you eat for breakfast, as long as you do not manage to poison yourself."

To be fair, Hal had been a little hungover when he'd made that call. It had just seemed like such a momentous decision, cereal or toast, and he hadn't been able to make it himself. So he'd called Sinestro and it wasn't like Sinestro hadn't been amused by it, hadn't actually helped Hal decide. Because he had. And Hal flushed now, remembering.

"You're one to talk," Hal shot back, but he was playful about it as he mimicked Sinestro's most control-freakish tone, "'Hal, do I look fat in this suit? I don't, do I? Of course not. I am perfect. I am Sinestro.' And so help anyone who messes with you, hmm?" Hal's voice had returned to normal, though at a slightly lower octave than usual.

"Yes..." Sinestro sounded thoughtful, Hal could picture how his eyebrows would draw together, how his forehead would crease in those familiar lines Hal spent so much time mapping in his head. So absorbed by this, Hal drifted off into a little daydream, thinking about Sinestro and nothing else.

"This water is getting cold," Sinestro abruptly announced and Hal was dragged back into the present. "I believe I shall dress and report to Oa. The Guardians wish to discuss the mission I took control of last night." Even as Sinestro spoke, Hal could hear the sound of water moving again, could guess Sinestro was exiting the bath. "Is there a reason you called me other than to be social?"

Like that, Hal's heart plummeted, he'd remembered the situation he had to deal with, was pulled out of the bliss of talking with Sinestro. "Uh..." Should he mention what had happened, the massacre? He didn't want to seem pathetic, for not being able to handle it. But Sinestro's opinion mattered more than his own pride, Hal went for it, "Yeah. I've got a building full of dead bodies. It's really - it's horrible."

"Oh?" Sinestro sounded interested in this piece of news. "In your sector? Send me details, I know Abin once dealt with a similar case. We shouldn't jump to conclusions, but perhaps the cases are related." It was calming, the use of 'we' and how Sinestro was instantly all business, putting his lovely brain towards catching who was responsible. But Hal didn't move. "Jordan?"

"The Guardians didn't invite you," Hal pointed out, he couldn't just disobey them without thinking about it, and sending the details, allowing Sinestro to help him was most likely not a good move. "I asked them to, but they were pretty firm in their decision. They must really want to talk to you about that mission you were on last night. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

Sinestro was dismissive of Hal's concerns, always seemed to forget the Guardians were the ones who had the ability to take away his ring. "I don't care what the Guardians want, Hal, I care about helping you." It was stated as simply fact, but Hal was smitten anyway, that Sinestro wouldn't let anything stand between them. "Send me the information."

There was never any denying Sinestro anything, especially not when he used that tone, the one that left no room for argument. Dallying no longer, Hal did as he was told. "Yes, as I suspected," Sinestro mused, after a few minutes of silence. No doubt he'd picked through all the details already. "There are remarkable similarities. I shall join you, in your sector. It will take but a moment of -"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Having Sinestro get kicked from the Corps would not be a very fun experience, Hal was sure. If Sinestro avoided the meeting he was supposed to have with the Guardians to run off with Hal, they would likely not be happy. "I'm not questioning you, I just -" Hal was worried, but he had to let Sinestro make his own decisions - "don't you want breakfast first?"

That Hal had changed what he'd been about to say midway through was probably obvious, but Sinestro didn't comment on it. "I have no need of breakfast," Sinestro was unimpressed by the very idea. "It would be foolish to dally here while a mass murderer runs rampant. Unless of course, you don't want my help?"

"No, I do," Hal was quick to correct, passing up the opportunity to lie and therefore talk Sinestro into meeting with the Guardians. That just felt too manipulative. "I just don't want you passing out from hunger. You're way too skinny as it is." There was a pause and Hal was suspicious. "Are you staring at yourself in the mirror?"

"No," Sinestro responded, far too quickly, and there was that pause again. Out of Hal's control, he wondered if Sinestro was staring at himself in the mirror naked, or if he was already dressed. Either way, he probably looked fantastic. "Perhaps you are right," Sinestro then conceded, he'd definitely been studying his appearance in a mirror. "I shall eat something."

Hearing this, Hal was relieved, and he managed to stop picturing how Sinestro looked right about now. "Good. It's you know, good for you. I think. Can't fight on an empty stomach. Maybe." Eating was the healthy thing to do, Hal was sure, and Sinestro wouldn't have taken his advice if it wasn't.

"Quite," Sinestro agreed. "I shall see you in a few minutes, Jordan. Let us hope the Guardians do not see fit to interfere in our work." With that, Sinestro ended the call and Hal felt very alone. But better than before, at least. Much better. He didn't know what he'd do if the Guardians ever did finally expel Sinestro from the Corps. Be miserable, most likely. Then follow Sinestro wherever he might go.


End file.
